Wright wants shot at Pavlik

By John Bassetti

His trainer, Dan
Birmingham, is an
Austintown native.

The trainer of middleweight boxer Winky Wright is making a pitch to have his fighter face Kelly Pavlik before the end of the year.

When negotiations with Pavlik’s promoter, Bob Arum and Top Rank, Inc., were in progress with several fighters, Dan Birmingham expressed a definite interest in seeing Wright as the next opponent of the WBC and WBO champion from Youngstown.

“We’d like to know why Bob Arum avoided the best and most accomplished middleweight out there,” said Birmingham of Wright, a former WBA light middleweight (154) and WBC light middleweight champion.

“These guys are all ‘B’ fighters,” Birmingham said of the latest lineup of potential opponents, such as Giovanni Lorenzo and Marco Antonio Rubio.

Gary Lockett will fight Pavlik this June.

“The fight people want to see Winky,” Birmingham said. “In the forums, especially eastsideboxing.com, the fans want to see Pavlik in a real fight and Winky’s name was mentioned most of the time.

“I believe HBO will eventually force him to fight Winky — after all they are the real promoter,” said Birmingham speaking by telephone from St. Petersburg, Fla. “It shows how afraid Arum is of Wink, when he doesn’t mention his name.”

Being a longtime trainer, Birmingham, originally from Austintown, understands that Pavlik is entitled to a breather, especially after back-to-back wins over Jermain Taylor.

Wright lost a 12-round decision to Taylor in June 2006, in Memphis.

Of course, fight contracts aren’t negotiated in the press nor via chatrooms, but a plug for a legitimate boxer with a trainer from the area has merit.

Wright (51-4-1) hasn’t fought since losing to Bernard Hopkins last July. That was also the last fight for Hopkins, when the men fought at 170.

Hopkins, the IBO and NBA light heavyweight champion, is listed as the top pound-for-pound fighter by boxrec.com. Welterweight Floyd Mayweather Jr. is No. 2, followed by Pavlik. Wright is No. 8.

Hopkins will meet Joe Calzaghe on April 19 in Las Vegas.

Wright, at age 36, is considered near the end of his career, so a fight against Pavlik would be inviting for the southpaw, who stands 5-101⁄2.

“Arum is trying to give Kelly a soft defense, which is okay,” Birmingham said. “But, by not mentioning his [Wright’s] name, Arum is showing how scared he is of Winky. 

“Kelly and [trainer] Jack [Loew] both say they want this fight. They both know that in order to be called the best, you have to fight and beat the best.”

bassetti@vindy.com